Headlines

With the volume of filed National Prescription Opiate Litigation cases (more than 1,800), which comprise just 10% of the nation’s counties and cities, a structure and process is needed to provide all counties and cities nationwide, filed and unfiled, with a collective and powerful voice in the litigation, and create a pre-established mechanism through which plaintiffs can consider and have a vote in potential settlements with defendants.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced an award of $3 million to a pair of whistleblowers who provided original information to the Commission that led to a successful enforcement action involving an alleged securities violation that harmed retail investors.

Leigh Day and Motley Rice will assist as consultants dealing with issues outside of Brazil regarding environmental and personal injury class action litigation.

A Milwaukee, Wis., jury has found lead pigment manufacturers The Sherwin-Williams Co., E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., and Armstrong Containers, Inc., responsible for the toxic lead exposures of three young men, all residents of Milwaukee and minors at the time of their lead exposure in their homes. The jury awarded $6 million total, $2 million to each plaintiff.

Motley Rice filed a consolidated amended complaint involving Riot Blockchain, Inc. alleging the company and its officers orchestrated a pump-and-dump scheme to misled shareholders about the company’s supposed transformation from a maker of veterinary products to a miner of cryptocurrency.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in a Food Drug and Cosmetic Act preemption case Merck v. Albrecht. The case sought to settle whether a judge or jury should decide the fate of complex medical litigation claims barred by prior FDA action, and to articulate standards for such “clear evidence” preemption.

Motley Rice announces the addition of attorneys Esther E. Berezofsky, Michael J. Quirk, Daniel R. Lapinski, and Sarah T. Hansel, and the creation of offices in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Philadelphia, Pa.

Fourteen Motley Rice attorneys were named to the 2019 Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars for South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.

Attorney James Ledlie was featured by the CDC for his work in public health law. The Q&A interview highlights James’ legal career, detailing his significant cases, his current focus areas and lessons he has learned along the way.

NHTSA announced it is expanding its investigation into potentially defective airbags that may fail to deploy in a wreck and that have caused at least eight deaths in the United States. The airbags may not deploy due to “electrical overstress.”